CAP predicts 'normal' water supply to '12

The Central Arizona Project projects "normal" water supplies
over the next two years on the Colorado, Salt and Verde river
systems, CAP said in a Thursday release.

El Nino conditions in the Pacific reduced snowpack in the upper
Colorado River basin. But El Nino also fueled a wet winter and
spring in the Salt, Verde, Agua Fria and Bill Williams watersheds,
"resulting in full reservoirs and release of excess water to the
Colorado River, reducing the amount of water released from Lake
Mead," it continued.

Lake Mead is expected to finish 2010 at an elevation of 1,088
feet above sea level.

In 2012, CAP projects a 15-20 percent probability that Lake Mead
will have fallen an additional 13 feet to 1,075 feet, triggering a
declaration of "shortage" on the Colorado River.

"Should the Secretary of the Interior declare a shortage, CAP,
with the lowest priority to Colorado River water, would have its
annual entitlement reduced by 288,000 acre-feet (93 billion
gallons), or roughly 18 percent," the release said.

"This level of shortage would not impact CAP deliveries to
cities and other high priority customers," said CAP General Manager
David Modeer. "Those customers are not likely to see a shortage
before the mid-2020s. But, a shortage in 2012 would reduce excess
water available for recharge and storage. We've foreseen that
potential for many years, and prepared for this by recharging more
than 6 million acre-feet of excess Colorado River water since
1985."